MIAMI – Well, Rony Seikaly and Eric Murdock were back for the Nets. Not that it mattered.

Seikaly, returning from a sprained left ankle to play his first game of the season, scored seven points and grabbed six rebounds in 21 minutes. Murdock, battling a left groin injury, gave 26 minutes and scored five points. Both grimaced over the Nets’ 95-72 defeat. But on a personal level, Seikaly was pleased with his physical status. Murdock wasn’t.

“I felt fine out there, but overall it was ugly,” Seikaly said.

“It’s sore,” Murdock said of the groin. “I still don’t have all my mobility. … I just don’t want this lingering all season.” *Damon Jones, the newest Net, nailed a string of mid-range jumpers in a mini solo practice after the morning workout. The 6-foot-2 Jones dropped back beyond the 3-point arc and was not having the same success. So John Calipari told him what he tells all the Nets: “Just move in and make shots. We missed seven layups last game so threes aren’t that big.”

And that is all the Nets hope Jones will do: Make some shots. Shots of any kind. Jones was summoned from the Idaho Stampede of the CBA to supply at least temporary relief to the Nets’ critical manpower shortage and, they hope, their wretched shooting situation. He finished 1-of-5 last night. *Sam Cassell remained on the shelf and might not even play tonight against Detroit at home. “He was despondent because he thought he’d be able to play [last night]. He was ready. He’s been more committed than I’ve ever seen him,” Calipari said, noting Cassell “can’t cut so he can’t play; he can run but he can’t cut.” … Keith Van Horn took a shot to the forehead, purely accidental, when he collided with Jamie Watson’s head in the second quarter. Van Horn wore an ugly bruise and bump … Calipari was talking about the scouting system the Nets have in place when he revealed had they kept their draft pick last June, the choice would have been Matt Harpring. That’s who Orlando took with the pick they received in the Seikaly trade.